At UN General Assembly, Trump slams Palestinian statehood push as ‘reward for Hamas’

Dubai: US President Donald Trump used his return to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday to denounce growing international recognition of a Palestinian state, warning that such moves amounted to “a reward” for Hamas’s attacks on Israel.

Speaking before world leaders, Trump said he has been directly involved in trying to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, nearly two years into a war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the enclave’s entire population.

He declared that recognition of Palestinian statehood by powerful nations in recent days undermined peace efforts and emboldened Hamas.

“This would be a reward for Hamas’s atrocities,” Trump said, to applause in the chamber, BBC reported. “Those who want peace must unite in one message: release the hostages now.”

His remarks came a day after more than a dozen nations, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, formally recognised Palestine, joining over 145 countries worldwide. Spain, Ireland and Norway led the new wave of recognitions earlier this year.

The diplomatic shift has left Israel increasingly isolated, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed there would “never be” a Palestinian state.

Trump repeatedly framed Hamas as the obstacle to peace, calling the group a “terrorist organisation” that thrives on ransom and violence. He said families of the hostages in Gaza wanted the return of dead bodies as urgently as living captives.

“This is about human dignity,” he said. “We cannot give Hamas concessions. The world must stand united against them.”

Trump cast himself as a dealmaker seeking a breakthrough in Gaza but accused the United Nations of failing to play any role in ending the conflict. “The UN did not even try to help,” he said, arguing the world body had offered only “empty words” while violence escalated.

The US president’s criticism extended beyond the Middle East. He accused global institutions of “decaying the world order” and said the UN had abandoned its mission to stop wars. “What is the purpose of the United Nations?” he asked. “It’s not living up to its potential.”

Trump contrasted his record, claiming credit for ending seven conflicts in just seven months of his second term, including disputes between Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, and Armenia and Azerbaijan. Some of those conflicts were brief flare-ups, and experts note peace deals remain fragile.

Still, Trump insisted no president had “ever done anything close to that.” He accused the UN of being absent from those negotiations and mocked the organisation, saying all he got from it was “a bad escalator and a broken teleprompter.”

Turning back to the Middle East, Trump described Iran as the world’s leading “sponsor of terror” and revealed he had ordered strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities earlier this year. “For 22 years people wanted to do this,” he said.

He also warned against open borders, accused the UN of funding migrant “invasions,” and said biological weapons research risked ending life on Earth. He announced plans for a US-led AI verification system to monitor bioweapons, though offered few details.

Despite his wide-ranging speech, Trump’s strongest words were reserved for Gaza and the wave of Palestinian recognitions. He portrayed himself as defending Israel while seeking a ceasefire that excludes Hamas.

“We will find peace,” he said, “but it will not come by rewarding terrorists. It will come by freeing hostages and by finding the right partners on both sides who truly want to live together in peace.”

Trump last addressed the UN General Assembly nearly five years ago, on September 22, 2020, before returning for today’s speech.